Loose leaf binder clamp



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LOOS E LEAF BINDER CLAMP Filed June 12. 1929 A. K. BRIELE ET AL May 26, 1931.

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Patented May 26, 1931 7 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

AUGUST K. BRIELE AND ROBERT E. BREELEVOF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND LOOSE LEAF BINDER'CLAMP A Application filed June 12, 1929. Serial No. 370,401.

This invention relates to loose leaf bindclosure member with a catch for holding it ers, and especially to an improved loose in its normal closed position. leaf binder clamp. Other objects and important features are A disadvantage of loose leaf binders which pointed out or implied in the following dehave a key-actuated mechanism, or cranktails of description, in connect-ion with the 45 enable the user to grasp it with a thumb and actuated mechanism, is that the key or crank accompanying drawings in which:

gets lost ormisplaced, and the clamping Figure l is a top plan view of the device mechanism cannot be operated until the key embodying our invention, the greater part is found or replaced, of the covers andleaves of the book or binder 10 One object of our invention, therefore, is being broken off, and the key or crank beto provide a very practical and convenient ing extended to its operat fi P t 0 loose leaf binder clamp including a per Figure 2 is an end-view of the device manently attached key or crank by which the shown n Figure 1, the hinged cap or cloclamping mechanism can be operated withsure being in the wide-open position.

15 out the loss of time which-has heretofore Figure 3 is a View similar to Figurel, been experienced wh-enever the clamping eXcept the top plate of the tubular clamping mechanism is to be operated; that is, the head belilg removed, that is, the bindertime required for finding the key or crank. head Winch contalns the clamping mech- Angthgl' bj t i t id a d i f amsm and the operating handle or crank,

20 this character having the key or crank enthe latter being lnLitS operative position. tirely enclosed and out of theway, within lg r tits a vleW similar to Figure 3, one of the tubular binder-heads, and which but par s n g broken off, and the operating can b i kl d il ithd or crank being in its concealed or out-of-thed d t th ff cti ti iti way position, and the hinged closure being 5 when it is desired to use the device for 111 closed'positiohl i loose leaveg Flgure 5fiS 2LI1 enlarged sectional detail Another object is to provide a novel form VlQW 0f the operating key or crank in it of cgnnggtion, the perating key 0 operative OI GXtQHClGCi POSltiOD On the crank, which keeps the key from rotating W g Stem h scl'ew'hod Clamp 30 around th i di t f th l i mg screw) on winch the tubular body of screw when the key is fully extended or y shdahly mohhhednearly so; but which permits the key to be Referring to these drawings in detail, in rotated freely around the winding stem Whlch 1 9 referenqe Characters 9 6- when the clamping screw has been tightened, P F to silmllar Pa Vlh the several w and when the key has been moved inward and in WlllCll the hinged. covers 10, the tubu- 8 towards the tubular housing that receives'it, h bmder'heilds 11 and the hmge 2 there so the end of the housing will not interfere 9 are plievlously known WW K the with the handle or arm of the key when be- 1, 311%? 18 110W descnbed i detail as 40 i gz s g qgg gg z 1 device of Each tubular binder-head is provided i Chqracter] in Whichp the M 1 I 1 wlth clrcular openings, as indicated 1n 4 y 01 dotted lines at 13.- One of these openings extends Sufficienbly thefubulali t d is fitted. with a guiding member which is head when In its lnopemtn'e Posmonv to tubular, thatis, one at each end of the tubular member 11 which is shown open in Fig- "9 h and th y wlthdl'aw'lt the P- ure 3. These guiding members are incli- Y p h; h ful'hhel ohlect is cated at 14, and through them, chains'lt') PYWlde the prlmarlly p end f 3 tubuextend into the interior of' this tubular guidlar binder-head with a hollow or concaved ing member. These chains 15 may be prop- 50 hinged closure member, and to providesuch erly considered as jointed-binder-posts, for 1 r one end of each chain is secured to the binder-head which co-operates with the one having the guides 14 therein, while the other end of each chain or flexible member 15 is connected to nuts or connections 16 by means of links 17 and rivets 18.

A screw-threaded rod 19 is journalled, at 20 and 21, in the tubular binder-head which has the guides 14 therein, and this screwrod has left-hand threads extending from one end to its middle part, and right-hand threads extending from the other end to its middle part. The nuts or connections 16 have right-hand threads and left-hand threads, respectively, which are meshed with the corresponding threads of the screw-rod, and when the latter is turned, the connections 16 are thereby moved in opposite directions along the interior of the binderheads which contains them. It will be seen, therefore, that when the screw-rod is turned, the parts 15, 16, 17 and 18 combine for drawing the binder-heads 11 towards one another for effecting the clamping of loose leaves between them.

The mechanism thus far described is of previously known construction, except that in such previously known construction, the bearing 21 is similar to the bearing 20 and nearer the end of the binder-head. Moreover, the screw-rod in this present invention has an extension 22, that is, a reduced part beyond the threads of the screw-rod. In

such previously known devices, both ends of both tubular binder-heads are closed by permanently lixed caps or covers such as shown at the lower ends of Figures 1 and 3, wherc as, the present invention includes a hollow or concaved cover or closure 23 which is hinged at 24 and is provided with a. spring-catch In consequence of the bearing 21 being at a distance from the originally open end of the binder-head which contains it, a storage space 26 is provided in this binder-head and in the hollow of the closure 23. The purpose of this storage space is to receive the handle of the operating member or crank which includes a tubular shank 27 and an L-shaped handle member 28. This crank or handle member includes the handle and a shank, which latter is slidingly fitted in a radially disposed bore 29 at the outer end of the tubular shank 27, which latter has a.

laterally disposed notch 30 which receives a lug or flattened end portion 31 of the member 28. It will be seen, therefore, that the member 28 can he slid longitudinally for engaging and disengaging the lug 31, and that when each lug is engaged with the notch 30, the handle member 28 is held rigid with the shank 27, so the latter can be turned for turning the screw-rod; and in this connection, it should be understood that the extension or winding stem 22 of the screw-rod extends into the interior of the tubular shank 27, so that the latter is slidable thereon, from its outer or operative position, to its inner or inoperative position. The foregoing is made clear by the illustration in Figure 4, where the key member 28 is turned through 180 from the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, and where the shank 27 is shown in its innermost position. Moreover, by referring to Figure 4, it is seen that the end of the crank extends sufficiently far beyond the end of the tubular binder-head 11 to enable the user to grasp it with a thumb and finger when the cap or closure 23 is opened. Moreover, it is seen that the cap 23, when closed, receives this projecting end of the crank, and combines with the storage space 26 to provide a normally closed hollow casing for completely enclosing the crank. The shank 27 is provided with a pin or stop 32 which extends excentrically thcr-ethrongh and bears against a slabbed side 33 of the extension 22, and prevents rotation of the crank relative to the screw-rod, while permitting the crank to slide longitudinally, inward and outware, to the extent limited by the stop 32 and the shoulder 33 at the outer end of the slabbed side 33. A reduced cylindrical part 22 has one side flush with the slabbed side 33, so the pin 32 slides easily from the slabbed side to this reduced cylindrieal part; and when out of engagement with the slabbed side 33, the pin 32 can turn around the reduced cylindrical part. By means of this novel operating key connection, the user can draw the key out until the pin and slabbed side are cooperative for turning the clamping screw until the leaves are clamped securely, whereupon the key can be slid inward; and if the handle member is then out of its proper relation to enter the tubular housing 11, it can be turned when the pin has passed inward beyond the slabbed side 33, then moved to its innermost position shown in Fig. 4.

Although we have described this embodiment of our invention specifically, it is not our intention to limit our patent protection to these exact details of construction and arrangement, for the invention is susceptible of numerous changes within the scope of the inventive ideas, as implied and claimed; for instance, the invention is not limited to the pin and slabbed side connection 32-33, for other means may be employed for the same purposes explained above.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a loose leaf binder clamp, the combination of a tubular binder-head having openings between its ends, a screw-threaded rod journalled in said tubular binder-head and extending substantially from end to end thereof, connections threaded on said rod and thereby movable along said tubular binder-head, flexible members connected to said connections and extending through said openings and adapted to be pulled inward by said connections and provided with a leaf-clamping member movable toward the said binder-head for cooperation therewith, and an operating member including a handle and being adjustably secured to said screwthreaded rod so as to be movable from its operating position into such position that said handle is within the said tubular binder-head.

2. In a loose leaf binder clamp, the combination of a hollow casing including a tubular binder-head having openings between its ends, a screw-threaded rod journalled in said binder-head and extending substantially from end to end thereof, connections threaded on said rod and thereby movable along said binder-head, flexible members connected to said connections and extending out through said openings and provided with a leaf-clamping part to be pulled inward for cooperation with said binder-head, and a crank having a handle, said crank being on one end of the screw-threaded rod and operable to turn the latter and to be slid longitudinally thereof to a position for storing its handle in said hollowcasing.

3. In a loose leaf binder clamp, the combination of a tubular binder-head having openings between its ends, a screw-threaded rod journalled in said binder-head and extending substantially from end to end thereof, connections threaded on said rod and thereby movable along said binder-head, flexible members connected to said connections and extending out through said open ings and provided with a leaf-clamping part to be pulled inward for cooperation with said binder-head, and a crank including a handle and a tubular shank, said tubular shank inclosing one end of the screw-threaded rod and operable to turn the latter and to be slid longitudinally thereon from its operative position to a position for storin its handle" in said tubular binder head, substantially as specified.

4. In a loose leaf binder clamp, the combination of a tubular binder-head having openings between its ends, a screw-threaded rod journalled in said binder-head and extending substantially from end to end thereof, connections threaded on said rod and thereby movable along said binder-head, flexible members connected to said connections and extending out through said openings and provided with a leaf-clamping part to be pulled inward upon rotation of said screw-threaded rod, and a crank including a tubular shank and an L-shaped handlemember, the latter being journalled in said tubular shank and turnable from its operative position to an inoperative position in which it extends towards said tubular binder-head, said tubular shank enclosing an extended end of the screw-threaded rod and operable to turn the latter and slidable from its outer position to its inner position in which the said handle-member is almost wholly within said tubular binder-head.

5. In a loose leaf binder clamp, the combination of a tubular binder-head having openings between its ends, a screw-threaded rod journalled in said binderhead and extending substantially from end to end thereof, connections threaded on said rod and thereby movable along said binder-head, flexible members connected to said connections and extending out through said openings, a second binder-head secured to said flexible members and adapted to be pulled inward thereby upon rotation of said screwthreaded rod, a crank on one end of said screw-threaded rod and operable to turn the latter and movable thereon from its operative position to a storage position almost entirely within said tubular binder-head, and a closure having a hollow side to receive a slightly projecting part of the crank, said closure being hinged to the tubular binder-head in a position to close the end that receives the crank and to combine with said end for entirely enclosing the said crank.

6. In a loose leaf binder clamp, the combination of a tubular binder-head having openings between its ends, a screw-threaded rod journalled in said tubular binder-head and extending substantially from end to end thereof, connections threaded on said rod and thereby movable along said tubular binderhead, flexible members connected. to said connections and extending through said openings and adapted to be pulled inward by said connections, a second bin ler-head secured to said flexible members and thereby movable towards-the first said binder-head, a manipulative member adjustably secured to said screw-threaded rod so as to be movable from its manipulative position into the interior of said tubular binder-head, said manipulative member including a tubular shank, said screw-threaded rod having a winding stem that extends into said tubular shank, said winding stem having an outer part including a slabbed side, said winding stem having a reduced cylindrical inner part adjoining the slabbed side, and a stop disposed excentrically in said tubular shank and adapted to combine with said slabbed side for turning the screw-threaded rod, the said stop being turnable around said re duced cylindrical part when the manipulative member has been slid to a position between its outermost and innermost positions, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

AUGUST K. BRIELE. ROBERT H. BRIELE. 

